Chronotherapy of cancer: epithelial-mesenchymal transition

Abstract

The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays a fundamental role in embryonic development and metastasis.4 The metastasis of cancer is not only the most fatal stage but also the most complex one.5 During this process cell-cell interaction and cell-membrane basal interaction is lost, this implies losing the polarity and the typical forms of the epithelial phenotypes, which occurs through genotypic changes.6 The cells acquire then a Mesenchymal phenotype characterized by a high capacity for invasion and resistance to apoptosis.7